# Morals Clause for a Presidential Candidate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 19, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579 "2016-03-19T21:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/1 "2016-03-19T21:42:45Z")
I find it hard to believe that a party is a complete hostage to a candidate who is not socialized, and that they cannot abide. Couldn’t the Republicans just wash their hands of Trump by reason of some of his public statements, actions positions, business practices or partners, etc. He could run as a write in. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/2 "2016-03-19T22:35:54Z")
Over the decades American political parties have developed processes and procedures for determining who’s eligible to run under their labels. However, “We don’t like you” Is NOT one of the criteria. See also [David Duke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke) [Lyndon LaRouche](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_LaRouche) [Huey Long](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey_Long) [George Wallace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace) and [Ross Barnett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Barnett) and hundreds of other candidates for national, state and local offices that some section of the party thought were abhorrent. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/3 "2016-03-19T23:02:43Z")
It’s not that easy, politically. The RNC could re-write the rules to get rid of Trump anytime they wish. But what does that end up doing to all the Trump supporters out there? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/4 "2016-03-19T23:29:37Z")
In many situations in life “I don’t like you” very easily becomes “You violated this rule, and this is unacceptable”. Trump can’t keep his mouth or ego in check and I can’t believe he hasn’t violated one or another prime requirement for a large organization such as this. They might make a cost benefit analysis and figure it’s just as good to tell Trump to run on his own third party, as try to square all these circles. What would happen if a candidate just said: “We don’t need the Jews”, or We don’'t really want a black country do we?" There is some point at which it must be done. I’m just wondering what that point would be. Can’t recall just what happened with Duke but they must have been scared. Then they thought this was so out of it it could never happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/5 "2016-03-20T00:03:45Z")
From my understanding, state laws govern everything about primary votes and delegate counts except whether they actually _matter_. In fact, a number of key rules haven’t even been made yet for the 2016 convention. [For example, the eight-state rule, where a candidate needed a majority in at least eight states to be nominated, was a temporary rule for the 2012 convention, and it isn’t necessarily binding on the 2016 convention.](http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/ben-ginsberg-republican-contested-convention-rules-220499) My point is, the GOP could pass any number of these temporary rules to block Trump, and then forget about them in 2020, when they would be onerous and counterproductive. Then they would fall flat on their ass in the general election, as all of the Trump supporters and all of the people who think that kind of thing is dishonest either stay home or vote against the Republican candidate. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morals-clause-for-a-presidential-candidate/749579/6 "2016-03-20T00:52:23Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > From my understanding, state laws govern everything about primary votes and delegate counts except whether they actually _matter_. > > In fact, a number of key rules haven’t even been made yet for the 2016 convention. [For example, the eight-state rule, where a candidate needed a majority in at least eight states to be nominated, was a temporary rule for the 2012 convention, and it isn’t necessarily binding on the 2016 convention.](http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/ben-ginsberg-republican-contested-convention-rules-220499) My point is, the GOP could pass any number of these temporary rules to block Trump, and then forget about them in 2020, when they would be onerous and counterproductive. > > Then they would fall flat on their ass in the general election, as all of the Trump supporters and all of the people who think that kind of thing is dishonest either stay home or vote against the Republican candidate. I really think they already think that and are ready to bail on the Rupubs. My uncle is for Trump. He thinks “this time it’s different. It was that damned Bush and Cheney. And Obama too”